Venetian blind tape retaining pin



Aug. 4, 1953 R w MEYER 2,647,573

'VENETIAN BLIND TAPE RETAINING PIN Filed June 4, 1951 INVENTOR. M M BYI. I V

Patented Aug. 4, 1953 2,647,573 v VENETIAN BLIND TAPE RETAINING PINRobert W. Meyer, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to The Guarantee SpecialtyManufacturing Co., Cleve-.

land, Ohio, a corporation Application June 4, 1951, Serial No. 229,771

- 3 Claims. (01. 160-178 This invention relates to Venetian blinds,particularly to a novel form of tape retaining pin, adapted to be usedtherein for fastening the tape to certain of the operating parts of ablind. I

The tape retaining pin of this invention, is primarily adapted to be,used with Venetian blinds, wherein the tilt bar or unit therein iscomprised of metal or the like material, and also in those instanceswhich avail of metal bottom rails for such blinds, the said pinproviding ready means for assembling and disassembling tape to suchblind, both in the manufacturing operations, as well as in preparationfor cleaning the tape and other parts of the blind.

In the copending application of Wright and Zay, Ser. No. 187,622, filedSeptember 29, 1950, there is disclosed a Venetian blind construction ofthe type above referred to, wherein the head bar of novel type is'illustrated. This particular head bar includes certain tape supportingmembers, to which the tapes upon assembly may be fastened by suitableserrated pins, the said supporting members being provided with suitableloop receiving openings in-which the tape ends are inserted.

It hasbeen found that the serrated pins are satisfactory, but thepresent invention discloses an improved form of pin which is not asreadily displaceable from its position, since the same is formed withsuitable means to prevent undesirable movement of the pin out ofposition in the loops whereby'the tapes are retained in connection withthe supporting members therefor. i

In particular, the tape retaining pins of this invention are comprisedof metal stampings or the like, having relatively long narrow bodyportions and formed integrally therewith a head member at each endthereof. Each head member above referred toincludes a stop sectionformed so as to extend slightly from one edge of the body, and adaptedto coact with the body portion of the supporting member, so as toprevent movement of the pin once it has been positioned in the loop ofthe tape. As further insurance against displacement of the pin, the headis provided with a notch formed between a lug or ear extending from theopposite edge of the body of the pin and the body proper, each saidnotch being adapted to receive and engage the corresponding edge of atape.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel form oftape retaining pin,

which may be formed of a metal stamping or the like, and of simpleconstruction whereby the pin may bereadily placed in the loop of aVenetian blind tape, or removed therefrom, and yet not be subject toundesired displacement therefrom.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tape retaining pinin which suitable stop members are formed, adapted to coact with asupporting member to which the tape is to be attached, so as to effectpositive retention of the tape in its position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tape retaining pinhaving a novel form of head member at each end thereof, which includesstops and notches, the notches being adapted to coact with correspondingtape edges so as to prevent undesired displacement of the pin.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tape retaining pinincluding the stop portions and the notches inthe head members, whichinstrumentalities will coact with the tape supporting member and taperespectively, to effectively maintain the tape in connected relationwith the supporting member therefor.

Other and further objects of this invention will be hereinafter setforth in conjunction with description of the same and illustrated in thedrawings wherein; v 1

Figure l is a plan View of a tape retaining pin formed in accordancewith this invention.

Figure 2 is an an end elevational view show-- ing the retaining pins inplace on a tape supporting member, the Venetian blind tapes connectedtherewith, and illustrating the manner in which the whole is assembledin a Venetian blind, although certain parts of the Venetian blind areomitted.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken about on the line 3-3 looking in thedirection of the arrows in Figure 2, illustrating in somewhat moredetail the manner of engagement of the retaining pin and. supportingmember, as well as the interengagement of the notches in the retainingpin with the tape.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken about on the line 4-4 looking in thedirection of the arrows in Figure 2.

Referring now to Figure 1 in the drawing, the tape retaining pin of thisinvention includes the relatively long narrow body I, preferably formedof thin sheet metal or the like, the said body I including substantiallyidentical heads 2 at opposite ends thereof. The heads 2 are comprised ofstops 3, the latter having substantially arcuate shaped form. It will beapparent that the stops 3 are formed at one edge and integral with thebody I of the pin. At the opposite edge of the body I, and forming apart of the heads 2 are the lugs or ears 4. These lugs or ears 4 areformed so as to extend toward one another, and intermediate the saidlugs orears i are the notches 5, formed between the said lugs and theedge of the body I, as will be apparent.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4 inclusive, there is illustrated a tapesupporting member. generally designated 6. This tape supporting memberis more particularly illustrated and described in the said copendingapplication of'Wright and Zay, previously mentioned, and includes a bodysection I substantially rectangular in outline, the same being providedwith suitable pulley supporting means generally designated 8, extendingupwardly therefrom. At the ends of the body 1 are thedepending ears 9,adapted to receive there.- in'the main'supporting member of the Venetianblind, which in this illustration is preferably a substantially U-shapedmember of generally rectangular form, not completely illustrated butbeing more particularly disclosed in the said Wright and Zayapplication. I

' At the opposite edges of the, body I are the depending portions 10,which portions it extend throughout the length of the body i preferablyand are further provided with loop receiving openings ll, clearly shownin Figure 4;. The loop receiving openings H are adapted to receive theloop ends 12 of the Venetian blind tape generally designated [3, the.said loop ends being formed by means of foldingback respective ends ofthe tape onthemselves and suitably stapling them as at 14, the samebeing illustrated in Figure-3. The tape i3 is of course provided withtheusual laddermenibers .l upon which the slats of the blind are supported.b

,With thepa-rts of the Venetian blind as illustrated in Figure 2, itwill be noted that the tape ends i2 forming the looped portions thereof,have been inserted in the loop receiving openings H, and thereafter thetape retaining pins illustrated in Figure 1 have been inserted. It willbe apparent that. with the pins positioned as illustrated in Figure 2,and as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, stops 3 have assumed positionsat opposite edges of the supporting member i. It will also be noted thatthe notches 5 at the opposite ends of the pin are-so spaced as to engagethe respective edges of the tape loop. In view of the foregoing it willbe apparent that any tendency on the part of the pin to work towardeither edge of the tape will be obviated by reason of provision of thenotches in the respective heads 2, as well as the stops 3 adapted tocoact with the body section 1 of the supporting member. It should benoted at this point that it is within the contemplation of thisinvention, to avail of either the stops 3 with the body I of the pinwithout resorting to the notches 5, so as to retain the pin in place, orconversely to resort to the notches 5 thus depending upon the stops 3 toprevent such displacement of the pin as is not desired.

It should also be noted that the particular disclosure herein described,wherein the tape retaining pins are availed of for connecting the tapeat the ends thereof with a tape supporting member or the like, may bythe same token be availed of to connect the said tape at the bottom endsthereof with the bottom rail, wherein said bottom rail is provided withsuitable loop receiving opening in the same manner as is shown inconnection with the tape supporting members in the head of the Venetianblind.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that there is shown anddescribed a novel form of tape retaining pin, which enables the readyconnection of tape ends in assembly of a blind and also which retainingpins may be removed when desired, but do not of themselves readily workout of position so as to permit the tape to become accidentallydisconnected.

Havingthus shown and described my-invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth inthe following claims: I

1. In a Venetian blind, in combination, a tape supporting member, havinga tape connection portion formed with an opening, a tape having a loopedend passing through said opening, a retaining pin seated in said loop,head members at opposite ends of the pin, each head member hav ing astop for engaging an adjacent edge of the tape connecting portion of thesupporting member, and said head members each having a notch to receivean adjacent edge of the tape at said loop.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stops are at oneedge of said pin, and the notches are formed at the opposite edge.

3. A retaining pin of the class described comprising a relatively long,narrow, flat body, a head member at each end of said body, each headmember comprising a stop formed at one edge of said body, an ear formedat the opposite edge of said body, and a notch formed in each ear, saidnotches extending in opposite directions and said ears extending towardeach other, the said stops being spaced a greater distance apart thanthe said notches.

ROBERT W. MEYER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,942,734 Spindler Jan. 9, 1934 2,086,461 Bogan July 6, 19372,166,301 Konen July 18, 1939 2,527,104 I Schaefer Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 9 7.065 Great Britain 1899

